Coming Together
by Akako Akina
Summary: The Cullens? Nonexistant. Vegetarian Vampires? Please. Our favorite vampire family has no idea that each will ever exist in their lives...even Alice. Will they ever cross paths during their years, or will it all break apart before ever Coming Together?
1. An Author's Note

_An Intimate Author's Note with Akako Akina (moved from my other account: EveryoneNeedsACullen):_

_ Welcome, welcome to 'Coming Together'! _

_ I felt I should first explain how my chapters are going to work…. The first seven chapters will be dedicated to the changing of each vampire. But I would suggest reading each and not skipping ahead. The rest of the chapters will be events that lead to the finale of the story. _

_ Reviews are appreciated, criticism is welcomed, but for the love of beavers if you just have something nasty to say I suggest you keep it to yourself before I go ape. I've seen too many authors take down their wonderful stories because of people like those. I sure hope I don't have to do that any time soon. So you may not enjoy my stories, then you don't have to read them! If you do enjoy them, thank you kindly:)_

_ Another note, if you don't enjoy Twilight or any of the subsequent books then this may not appeal to you as much as someone who does. Your decision!_

_ I'll update as regularly as I can, but do __**not **__expect more than two chapters in one day. Everything is busy, busy and I have to find time to write! _

_ So enter into a world where the Cullen's don't exist, follow each vampire's story, and I'll see you on the other side…_

_Happy Reading,_

_Akako Akina_


	2. Alice Brandon

Coming Together

**A/N:** _Hello all, 'Coming Together'. I had the idea in my head for a couple of days and after a little shove from my buddies, I've decided to start writing it out for all of you to enjoy! If you haven't checked out my 'Intimate Author's Note' in the previous chapter, you might want to!  
>Otherwise, read on!<em>

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the various ideas from the series or the movies alike. No infringement intended!**_

Alice POV _June 26, 2011_

"One, two, three, four, two-two three four…" I leapt into a perfect _grand jet__é_and landed quietly on my pointe shoe-clad feet. Miss Herman studied my form carefully and silently, I fought the urge to roll my eyes. It was the weekend, why couldn't I go home yet?

"Again," she snapped.

"One, two three, four, two-two, three, four," I pointed my toes to the point of strain and landed.

"Alice, your arms are sloppy. Don't snap your feet off with all that strain."

I held my arms in a perfect circle and danced across the studio floor again.

"Good, good. Come over here."

I gave a sigh of relief and went _en relev__é_on my shoes to walk to her. With my pointe shoes laced to my legs I was about a head taller than Miss Herman, but if I had been barefoot her size would be quite intimidating to me.

"Alice," she began. "We don't have many performances other than our regular recitals, but this event is special."

_What could she mean?_

"…We have a couple of high-paying clients holding a rather large party downtown in the _Merritt _building. They have asked specifically for our best dancer and right now you are way more advanced than our other girls."

I gave her a smug smile, "Thank you Miss Herman. What time is this party?"

"Tomorrow at 8, you know, this isn't a choice Alice…"

_Shit. That's my dinner with Brad. _"But-"I began.

"No but's Mary Alice." _Uh-oh my full name, I'd better comply._

"Yes, Miss Herman." She plastered a smile on her bony face and dismissed me from practice.

I teetered down the steps passing the various rooms we use for rehearsal. Every girl from five-years old to each teacher had been dancing since in the womb. We were the most talented dance school in the Tri-State and had more than 50 trophies to our name. _You are way more advanced than our other girls._ I smiled, I had better be. My parents sacrificed a lot to keep me in this damn school.

I clasped the cold, brass doorknob to our changing rooms and turned it. The room was lit with incandescent bulbs from over 9 vanity mirrors. I quickly unlaced my pointe slippers and slid out of my leotard. I gasped and clutched my scalp as a bout of dizziness came over me. At times like these my vision would get blurry and I would start sweating like a pig. I tried to block this out, as it has been happening for the past few years, but this one was much worse.

I could make out shadows, er-laughing shadows, dancing across the wall. And was that…a red eye? Blinking rapidly, the 'vision' cleared and I exhaled. I packed up the rest of my shoes, slid on the rest of my clothes, and scurried out the door.

It was a hot and muggy summer day. And I felt it as soon as I stepped outside. The summer sun hung directly overhead and cast no shadow out on the pavement. The town was alive with activity from vacationers to those leaving for their vacations. I walked to the back parking lot and started up 'Little Red' the cherry red Mini Cooper my parents got for my 16th birthday. I laughed at the thought and climbed in the driver's side.

As I pulled out of the lot a black and shiny Beemer came roaring past. I calmly forced my hand off the horn before I had the chance to start honking furiously. I could just make out the drivers high-profile features, copper-colored hair, and a scrub-donning body. Instead of waving a signal to me for his mistake, I could see him laughing slightly as he flipped me a birdy and sped off. I could only tap the steering wheel impatiently without exploding or tearing all my hair out. _Boys!_

_A few hours later, around 6:00 in the evening._

I sat down on the couch in the living room and checked the clock. _6:00, I'd better call Brad soon about tomorrow._ I bit my lip… _that_ was asking for trouble. It wasn't that Brad was such a bad guy; he could just be so MOODY sometimes! I shook my head and turned on _So You Think You Can Dance? _Which is, uh-go figure, my favorite show. I picked up the phone simultaneously and dialed Brad's number.

"_Hello? Alice?"_ I could hear the other line crackle slightly.

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, can we talk about tomorrow?" I winced at the thought.

"_Uh, I kinda need to talk about tomorrow too. Meet me at the park in ten?"_

"Um, sure. See you then." I hung up and held the phone to my chest. So many weird things going on…

_10 minutes later, Reservoir Park._

A lot of the mugginess had subsided from midday as I stepped out of my car. I swung the door shut behind me and walked into the park. It was one of our city's largest parks, located right on water hence the name. I followed the sloping path down to the grassy areas surrounded by rows and rows of blooming summer flowers. Brad met me halfway and we continued down in silence.

Brad had been my boyfriend since my sophomore year and we had graduated as a couple still. That didn't happen very often in high school, I'll tell you that much. He was wearing the faded letterman jacket that his father had given him as a graduation present; his unkempt, sandy, and blonde hair fell a little below his ocean blue eyes. Still as handsome as ever, but there was a hint of sadness to his walk.

"Alice-"He began.

"Brad I-"I uttered at the same time.

He looked at me, "Um, you go first."

I took a deep breath and began, "Well, I have to pass on our date tomorrow. It's just that- Miss Herman needs me to dance a some party and she said no but's and-"

He grabbed my hands and pressed his lips to mine, "Alice, I have to break up with you…"

I stared like a deer in the headlights… _that_ was unexpected. "W-what? Why?"

"Well, we're both going off to different colleges next semester Alice. We're on separate parts of the country! I got accepted to Stanford, you to NYU. I just think it's…" he paused. "Better this way."

I tore my hands from his and stepped back. "Oh." I muttered. This wasn't the kind of break up I was expecting, if there ever was one. Where was the sad music? The rain pouring over head? The kiss that said, 'take me back'! I frowned and looked at the ground, "Yeah. Well fine I guess I'll see you around then Brad." I turned on my heels and fled. He didn't say anything.

My room suddenly seemed dark and dismal as I ascended the stairs. Was I going to just hole myself up there for the rest of my life? My stomach growled in protest. I sighed and took the stairs down two at a time. My parents had just come home from their respective jobs and had started dinner. Spaghetti again... "Alice!" my mother chimed. "You look horrible, Tim doesn't she look horrible?" I rolled my eyes and looked at my dad. "Uh, I'll just um- Call me when dinner is done!" He pecked my cheek and rushed upstairs, typical dad.

Mom's back was towards me as she stirred extra sauce for the noodles. "Bad day at the studio, sweetie?" She asked quietly.

"Um no," I began. "Brad uh- broke up with me." I finished quickly.

She stopped stirring and looked back at me, "Oh! I'm sorry dear." She said sincerely. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Okay…"

And with that I sat at the table in silence and suddenly became interested in the Monet picture hung up on the wall. Mom finished dinner and Dad came down from his study. Atypical dinner, atypical family, enter the Brandon's, fade out. My life could be such a reality show. I ate my dinner in silence, and excused myself from the table. I walked up the stairs and shut the door to my room behind me. My bed was comfortable and gave me consolation, well as much as a bed can. I could feel silent tears escaping as my body fell into sleep.

I was burning, no, _writhing_ in agony. The laughing shadows were in front of me, their faces inhumanly beautiful, and their brown and blue and green eyes dissolving into ruby red ones. I yelled for someone, anyone. Brad? My mom? God? The laughter continued as I felt needles pierce my wrists, my ankles, my thighs. "Congratulations Aro," a musical voice rang out. "She smells divine." I heard laughter closer to my ears; I closed my eyes and screamed through gritted teeth, "Have you no soul?" More and more laughs rang out. "_Forse, nel vostro l'uno o altro_." The person closest to my ear whispered, and the needles stabbed at my neck. It all went black.

_June 27, 2011_

I woke with a start, the sun was streaming through the window, and a sheen of sweat covered my entire body. What a nightmare. I sat up in my bed and stared at the wall for a moment. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary today, the birds singing, the trees swaying. Though, I was starting to have second thoughts about this dinner party.

I dressed quickly and head downstairs to catch my father. "Hey, dad?" I called out.

"Down here!" He called from the living room.

I ran down to him and sat across from the couch he was on. "Do you know anything about the dinner party tonight at your building, around 8?"

He thought for a moment, "Ah. Yes, _that _party. They booked the building well in advance, a hefty sum too. Why?" He studied my reaction.

I looked back at him, "No reason, Ms. Hermans had asked me to dance for them." He furrowed his brow.

"Well, be careful Alice. Don't accept any drugs or-." I stopped him with a laugh.

"Dad, just because they happen to be filthy rich doesn't mean they're drug dealers."

"Yeah, well can't be too sure can we? In fact when you were born I may have had to sell a couple here and there, with all the clothes your mother was designing you…" He trailed off as I rolled my eyes.

"Dad you did not sell drugs." The tone in my voice was straightforward but with a hint of worry.

He smiled and chuckled, "Only the worst! Like Pepto BIsmol, to your Uncle Bill." I laughed again and hit his arm, "Have a good day at work dad." And I left the room. I had a couple hours to spare before the party, so I decided it might be smart to figure out what I was dancing to. I didn't want to end up making a fool out of myself by stumbling awkwardly to some Finnish Folk Dance or such.

The studio was buzzing with activity as Saturdays were usually reserved for the small children. Mothers wrangled their daughters and a few unwilling sons into their tights and slippers and marched them up the stairs to the 3:00 ballet class. I smiled and followed them up. The girl in front of me had a crooked skirt and an unlaced ballet slipper. I laughed and pulled her aside once she got in the room. Her brown eyes studied me and her tiny hand held onto my shoulder as I laced shoes and fixed her skirt. "There you go Bella, run along now." She smiled at me, "Thank you Miss Alice!" And scampered off to join her friends. Well she wasn't the most graceful apple on the tree, but she didn't completely suck, and she was one of the most adorable things I had ever seen that was a plus!

I stepped out the room and continued down the hall. The musty and carpeted hallway was familiar to me as I passed over 14 years' worth of countless dance lessons. I came to the end of hallway and raised my fist to knock on the door. The brass nameplate faintly read 'Miss Herman' and under that overlapping dance posters of her former glory days on Broadway and at the Russian Ballet. I smiled and knocked quietly. The door opened revealing Miss Herman in her black leotard, flesh tights, and a tight bun. "Ah, Alice, come to ask about the dance I suppose?" She looked at my inquiringly.

I nodded my head and she mirrored it back. "You will be doing your tap routine from the 2009 recital." She shifted her weight to one foot, "Hot Honey Rags, remember?" I chuckled, I _did _remember.

"Yes, Miss Herman. Thank you." I finished the conversation as she gave me one last look and shut her door; Miss Herman wasn't one for conversation.

I retreated back down the hallway and swung my arms side to side as I recalled the movements to our number. I was transported back to 2009 where my friends and I swung around in our black flapper dresses to the song from Chicago. I think I had gotten more compliments on that dress than my actual dancing. Shrugging, I stepped out into the summer afternoon once more.

_7:00 in the evening_

"There, you look wonderful Alice." Mom finished tailoring my dress. She clasped her hands together and twirled me around. "Knock 'em dead sweetie!" She smiled at me and packed up her sewing kit. I walked over the mirror and studied my form in it. I had more curves than junior year and I was proud of them. Laughing, I checked my phone. '_17 new messages' _I sighed and shut it. Yeah, they were all from Brad. _He was the one who broke if off in the first place, why do I have to talk to him? _ I thought to myself. I looked around, mom had left me alone and the room was silent. Before getting lost in my thoughts, my phone beeped rapidly. _'7:30 Time To Leave For Party' _flashed across the screen and I hit the off button. The beeping cut off and I exhaled sharply. Show time Alice, show time.

_7:45 in the evening_

I stepped into the Merritt building and was greeted by the expansive marble lobby and the cool draft coming from the air conditioning. I crossed the lobby into the ornamental brass elevators. Ted, the elevator man greeted me with a smile. "Well Miss Brandon, it's been a while since I've seen you here. You used to always come with your daddy on inspection days and-"I cut him off, "I've missed you too Ted." He laughed and continued, "Where are you off to tonight?" I looked at him and realized I hadn't asked Miss Herman the exact location of the party. I gave a slight frown and replied, "It's supposed to be a big party. That's about all I know." He nodded, "34th floor, it's some wild shin-digup there Alice. Please be careful." _Man, he sounded like my dad._ I nodded and thanked him.

The ascent to the 34th floor seemed to take forever. But as we neared the top I could hear music blaring from speakers, and subwoofers vibrating the floor. I sighed and looked at Ted. "Thanks Teddy, see you around." He smiled at me and gave me his best wishes.

Lady Gaga's _'Government Hooker´_ came through the speakers as her eerie, first, Italian words echoed throughout the hall. I caught glimpses of the figures inside, moving gracefully and yet hypnotically to the beat. They were gorgeous, the kind of people you only see on the over-airbrushed magazine models. I entered through the double doors and came face to face with a woman that had the skin of paper, hair of snow and the figure of a goddess. She smiled at me, a cold smile, and spoke with a melodic voice.

"Welcome young one," she smiled again with white, shiny teeth. "You must be our dancer."

There was something I found discomforting in her voice, "Yes, that's me. My name is Alice."

"Ah yes, you are the one." She took my arm and led me to the back of the stage. We weaved through many bodies and they had all turned to stare at me. I blushed once we reached the backstage area and the woman put one cold hand to my face. "Don't be nervous. You will do just fine." She smiled once more and floated away.

I could only do so much as breathe before my introduction started. I scampered off to the wings and tried to enter as lithely as I could without showing any huffing or puffing. I refused to look down at the crowd until the song ended. I stared straight at the back of the room where the same woman stood, ever smiling. Her entertained face kept me going until the last strain where I finished with the pose we were given two years ago. I allowed my eyes to drift down to the crowd, and I almost fainted. All their eyes were staring up at me amused and smiling, do they all smile like that? Everything about them was perfect and I could only think about all the plastic surgery they would've gone through to be as such.

Suddenly they all started applauding swiftly, buzzing with as much vigor as a hummingbird's wings. A man joined me on stage; he had perfect features, pale skin and appeared to be floating. His jet black hair reached down the length of his back and swayed with his movements. He took my hands in his and laughed suddenly. The man turned to the crowd and echoed back their wide smile, "La tua cantante?" All eyes were trained on him and each nodded their heads. He turned to me and blinked, "Very nice Mary Alice, very nice. Your dancing appeals to us so." _How did he know my name? _"Oh, please join us in our festivities yes?"

I nodded dumbly and blurted out, "No drugs!" Horrified, I clamped my hands over my mouth as chuckles spread through the room.

The man looked at me and laughed, "No, no drugs. I promise." He nodded. "Step over here please?" He led me over to a table and motioned for me to lie down. I looked at him uncertainly but he returned it with a warm smile, "Go on, we don't bite." He muttered something after that, but I didn't catch it. I lay down, like he said.

A new man entered the stage, almost identical in features but with snow white hair that came up to his shoulders. The table I lay on started whirring internally and four metal rings closed around my wrists and my ankles. I gasped and began to struggle. The woman who had led me in appeared behind me. She smiled and spoke in an even, melodic tone, "Sorry, we enjoy playing with our…food." I blinked up at her, _did she say food! Are they cannibals or something, what was this?_ The man with the white hair spoke to his colleagues in the crowd, "And now the raffle!" he chuckled. "And the winner is… Aro!"

_Aro? That sounded familiar. Of course! My dream! This must be a dream! _I blinked rapidly trying to wake myself up, but it didn't work. I wriggled around trying to loosen anything but the rings held fast. The same man with jet black hair came floating up to me, laughing. He waved away the woman behind me and a single spotlight fell upon both of us. _Aro _meandered to my ankles and broke the rings, I started to kick like a maniac but his cold hands forced them to the table. He lowered his head and bit into my ankles. I shrieked as my body started convulsing. _Not happening. NOT HAPPENING! _He did the same with my thighs and wrists, each more painful than the other. "Congratulations Aro," a musical voice rang out. "She smells divine!" Shutting my tear-filled eyes I mustered, "Have you no soul?" Aro gave out a bitter laugh and thrust his teeth at my ears, "Forse, nel vostro l'uno o altro." And sunk his mouth into the base of my neck.

The only things I heard were my own shrieks drowning out any other sound in the room. _This is the end, it isn't a dream anymore _I thought. _This was my final moment on earth, and my rapid descent into hell…_

**A/N:**_ Hate it? Love it? Want to set your coffee down and make that ring on it? Let me know! I appreciate your reviews! You can find Aro's Italian quotes in New Moon and the longer one from the movie. If you need an explanation of such, it would be easier for you to get on from Google! Thank you!  
>~Akako Akina<em>


	3. Esme Platt

Coming Together

**A/N:**  
>Well here is Esme now! She's one of my favorite characters!<br>Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:**__**I do not own any part of the Twilight franchise. I also do not own any of Olive Garden's delicious food. I do, however, own a beagle named Percy… **

Esme POV _ June 24, 2011_

"Morning ladies!" I chirped as I walked through the office dropping bagels and coffee on each of their desks.

"Esme, you're a life saver!"

"Oh, thank you so much!"

"What would we do without you?"

I smiled at the usual morning chorus of appreciation I received when I walked through the doors of the St. John Medical Hospital. It was a beautiful summery day when I got up this morning and I intended to keep it that way. "You're welcome girls, what do we have today?"

"Well," one nurse began. "Eighty percent of our beds are full; we have some of the nurses covering different rooms but if you could take these…" She handed me a stack of patient files, "It would be much appreciated!" She gave me a cheery smile.

"Of course," I answered back. "My pleasure!" I hung up the blue sweater that I had brought with me and took the first chart. I smiled, _Mr. Klyne _the old man in 203 who would burst into stories about 'the Old Times' and the 'Great War of '91 against the polar bears and the penguins'. He was slowly losing it, but he couldn't seem to let go of life just yet.

I walked down the fluorescent light lit hallway past some of the rooms that had once been occupied. Our doctors worked very hard to keep patients healthy and out of the hospital, but with summer underway many people had gotten careless and done reckless things. I reached room 203 and turned the door handle. "Good morning Mr. Klyne." I said softly into the darkness. I could make out a figure rustling under the sheets through the sun filtering in from the Roman-style blinds.

"Ah! My daughter, come here." He called out cheerily.

I smiled, "I'm not your daughter Mr. Klyne…"

I could see him peer into the darkness of the room, "Oh ho ho, that you aren't I must be losing it dear Esme. I am probably destined to meet the good Lord soon… don't you think?"

I flipped the switch on and walked in, this had been our greeting for the past couple months. But I feared that his prediction would be coming sooner and sooner. "Oh no Mr. Klyne you can't die, I haven't heard all of your wonderful stories yet." I checked each machine that the old man was hooked up to and made sure everything was running smoothly. I kissed his liver-spotted forehead and smiled.

"You're sweet on me Esme, say; have you found that man of your dreams yet?" His eyelids fell closed, but he was still conscious. For such a sick man he was still extremely observant.

I laughed, "No Mr. Klyne." I fluffed up his pillow and grabbed a tray of breakfast as it headed down the hall. "I have not." It took him a little while to answer, but that was normal.

"Have I told you about the Great war of '91 against the polar bears and the penguins Esme?" He began, full of life once again.

"No, I don't suppose you have." I lied and took a seat next to him, I never knew the last time I would be able to hear this story again.

Half an hour later I shut the door and went quietly to the next room, Mr. Klyne had gotten to some story about Duke Nukem before he had closed his eyes and went back to sleep. I started to check the next chart before I felt a slight whisper at my neck, "Are you ready for our date tonight?" I shivered and turned my head. Dr. Cam Stillmore stood close; his auburn hair tousled slightly, blue eyes clear as the ocean studying me. Just the way I liked it. I smiled and bit my lip. "Yes I am why are you keeping the location such a surprise?" I could see some of the younger nurses peering down the hall behind him, this made me chuckle.

He turned around to their direction and the nurses' heads popped back around the other corner. "Well because it _is_ a surprise!" He smiled crookedly, lines crinkling around his blue eyes. "I've got to go, see you at 7." His lips pressed to my cheek and he walked away, lab coat swishing around his taut-. I snapped out of my trance _whoa girl, not a work. _I laughed and continued down the hallway, breakfast time!

_7:00 in the evening. _

"Esme! You look beautiful." Caroline squealed in my ear. I used the hand not applying lipstick to cover that ear. "Dr. Stillmore will be hypnotized!" She wiggled her fingers in front of my face in an up and down motion.

"Caroline please, "I said through a combination of applying eyeliner and mascara. "Let me finish, then we freak out like the teenagers we wish we were." She quieted down and looked at me expectantly. I finished applying the makeup I had and slid on the assortment of bracelets Caroline had picked out for me. "There I'm don-." She started to squeal again.

"You have to tell me _everything _Esme Platt, ev-ry-thing!" She enunciated the last word.

"I really don't have a choice do I?" I laughed and shut the bathroom door.

She held my arm as we walked down the metal staircase in my loft. "No you never had a choice, you know me." She smiled playfully and let go of my arm as we reached the bottom.

"Okay, so just in case I don't stay at home tonight Percy gets her medicines at 10 p.m. 8 a.m. and if I'm lucky 12 p.m." I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively. She giggled.

"Aww, I love this little mutt!" She picked up my 5-year-old Beagle, Percy. "You got it Esme; I have it all under control!" The doorbell rang and I started to falter. Caroline noticed the change in my demeanor and lowered her voice, "you're going to do fine hon, don't' worry!" She gave me thumbs up and pushed me towards the door.

I reached for the handle and turned it. Cam was standing there, in _all _his glory, with a matching black tuxedo and shiny dress shoes. He reached down for a quick peck on the lips, "You look marvelous." I blushed out a deep red and took his outstretched arm.

_8:00 in the evening._

Arm in arm we walked into _The Breadbasket _and took our place in line behind an elderly couple. Cam seemed fidgety and kept sticking his hand in his shirt pocket to check the time on his iPhone. I opened my mouth to speak but a lanky, brown-haired waitress motioned us to our table. We sat in a plush red booth in the back corner of the restaurant and the waitress handed us our menus.

"Hello, my name is Marie Webber and I'll be your server tonight!" _Since when do waiters give out their last names? She seemed a little over-excited._ "Can I start you off with some drinks?" Instead of just addressing Cam, like MOST waitresses, her eyes darted back and forth between us smiling.

"Yes Marie, um," Cam began. "We would like the, uh…" He trailed off as I started staring at him. _He was acting so odd!_

Marie piped up, "May I suggest the _Castello del Poggio Moscato _ wine this evening, along with the _Five Cheese Ziti al Forno _ for your main course?" I could see Cam shoot Marie an apologetic look.

"Sure," I spoke. "We'll take that Marie, thank you." I handed both of our menus to her and she scampered back to the kitchen. I looked over at Cam. "Bad day at the office or something, you kill anybody?" _Hmm, that sounded rude. _But I was starting to get suspicious…and angry.

He looked at me incredulously and pressed his lips together, "Well, I can't exactly tell you." That sentence infuriated me.

"You _can't tell me?_" I half screamed yet whispered over the restaurant buzz. "Is it an affair or something?" _Wow, blunt Esme. _I didn't know I had that in me.

He smiled amused at me, "NO! It's not an affair, I promise. You will see later."

"Yeah. I'd better find out later, mister." I huffed, he merely chuckled back. _I still thought it was an affair._ _He just didn't want to tell me!_

_-xXx-_

Marie brought out our food and wine at the same time, I hadn't looked or spoken to Cam since I had confronted him about the "non-affair" which I had ingrained in my brain that it was indeed an affair, I felt like the wife of one those sleazy political figures with their little mistresses. I thanked Marie with a disturbing mixture of a scowl and a smile and took my fork to my pasta. Without thinking I shoved a couple hot forkfuls into my mouth and attempted to swallow. But it was so. Damn. Hot. I could feel my eyes watering and my tongue slowly burning taste buds into oblivion. Cam looked up from his wine and smiled, _smiled!_ "Here," he said handing me a flute of wine.

I painfully swallowed the scalding pasta and took the wine. Instead of drinking it I stabbed my tongue into the cool liquid and shuddered blissfully, closing my eyes. After I felt a few seconds pass by and ignoring a few stares I drank the wine right down to the bottom. Something black was etched into the bottom of the cup. I stared cross-eyed into the glass and read what seemed to be words, "_Same will you marry me?" _I mashed my eyebrows together… _Same? _ I stared up at Cam who was on one knee in front of the table. Immediately I started laughing, _hah! Oh man, he sent the email to the restaurant on his iPhone didn't he? It auto-corrected my name to 'Same' and he didn't even catch it! _My stomach started hurting from all the strain I was putting on it. He and half the restaurant were staring at me confused.

It took a minute but when I finally calmed down I looked down and nodded so many times my head may have just popped off with another. I threw my arms around him and he slid the beautiful ring onto my finger with an endearing smile on his face. The restaurant was applauding around us and I smiled back at him. After a long, awkward pause I looked up at him from my wine glass and tilted it forward exposing the words with a teasing expression.

"…Same?"

_June 26, 2011_

It was a painfully hot summer day as I stepped into the hospital. I had answered so many engagement and wedding stories yesterday that I was starting to get sick of it. Thankfully, the nurses on my floor had just receded back to staring at my ring from afar. They knew it would end up on their faces if they asked another question about it. I took the stack of waiting charts from the counter and started on my way to room 203.

I opened the door to an empty and cleaned out room. Each machine had been returned, the sheets were neat, right on top of another, the trash empty, the flowers gone. I paused for a moment, fearing the worst. I bit my lip and shut the door. I could hear the distant squeak of a wheelchair in the silence. I looked up to see Mr. Klyne pushed in a hospital wheelchair by his daughter, Abigail. I smiled overjoyed and shuffled over to them. Abigail smiled at me and retreated back down the hall to the waiting room. I looked at Mr. Klyne and bent down to his level.

He took my left hand in his and smiled. "Ah, I see! You have found a man!" His old eyes sparkled and I about started to cry. "Listen dear, I'm leaving this Popsicle stand and going to Vegas. I only have a couple more years in me, maybe less and I'm going to go live it out!" He started laughing and squeezed my hand, "I'll see you up in Paradise someday honey!" He kissed my cheek, turned on a dime and rolled down the hallway. I started laughing, but I sure was going to miss that old man.

I turned the opposite direction to head to my next bed. Cam was heading towards me with a medical resident in matching scrubs in tow behind him. He was a handsome young boy, not that I was staring as much as some of our younger nurses, copper-colored hair and enchanting green eyes. He kept his eyes trained to the floor and followed Cam's movements like a mirror. Cam walked up to me and smiled, the boy looked up at me then back down at his clipboard. He was a lanky, awkward sort of boy who looked like he should still be in high school.

"Hello dear," Cam said. "This is Edward Masen; he's shadowing me for the day for the career expo that the high school holds." _Oh, he IS still in high school._ The eavesdropping nurses sighed quite loudly and sat back down at their desks. I smiled secretly. "Edward," he spoke to the boy now. "This is my fiancée Esme." Cam made sure to enunciate my name as our little joke. Edward looked back up gave a slight smile and nodded, "Edward." But that's all that was said. I glanced at Cam who gave an apologetic smile that screamed '_teenagers'…_ I grinned and nodded. He continued down the hall with Edward.

_-xXx-_

It was around noon as I headed out for lunch. I would have to come back to the hospital afterwards but at least they let me go! I crossed the parking garage lot and got into my car. As the engine idled by I let a shiny, silver Volvo go in front of me. I caught a glimpse of the same copper-haired Edward I saw in the hallway this morning. I pulled behind him as the black and white striped arm of the gate lifted to let us out. We continued on the same avenue for a while but when we passed the parking lot of Miss Herman's Academy of Dance Edward pulled in front of a cherry red Mini Cooper and flipped the driver off. I sighed and let the girl in front of me. She gave me a forced wave and squealed out of the parking lot. I followed a couple paces back, shaking my head, _who knows what could happen next_?

_11:30 in the evening._

The rest of the day had gone as normal as a day could have. I returned to the hospital after my lunch gossip session with the lady behind the counter of Aunt Flo's Subs and Sammy's. Caroline had invited me on a dinner-date but I had respectfully declined her 'I'm going to grill Esme for information' invitation. I climbed into my bed and picked up the romance novel I was currently in the middle of. You know the feeling you get when you can't put something down? Yeah. I was in that right now. But it had only been a couple more minutes before I drifted off into a Fabio-filled sleep…

_Beep. Beep._

_Beep. Beep._

_Bee-_ I slammed my hand onto the beeper I had by my desk and sat up. The romance novel was lying on the floor along with my reading glasses. I had fallen asleep reading yet again. The lights were already on so I reached for the beeper and read the display. They never actually had to use it unless it was an emergency. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed the extension.

"Esme Platt here, somebody paged me?"

"Yes, we filled up a couple of beds tonight and we need another nurse here." The operator said through the line.

I checked the time, _12:37 "_All right, I'll be there as soon as I can." The line fell silent.

I swung my legs over the bed and made my way to the closet. I donned a matching pair of scrubs, washed up, and headed out the door. _It was going to be a long night…_

_June 27, 2011 12:45 a.m._

I made my way up to the fifth floor and walked out into the brightly lit hallway. The early morning sounds of the hospital filled the bleach-scented air around me. Becky, the nurse at the front desk, smiled at me and began to explain my first task. I rested my elbows on the laminate countertop and tried to keep focus as the lack of sleep finally washed over me.

"All right," she began." "We've filled almost five beds tonight and there are about 2 nurses on the graveyard shift for this floor. We need assistance." She added in the last sentence a bit forcefully. "Your first check is a girl, Mary Alice Brandon. She was said to have been seen in a dumpster, complaining of burning or something of the kind." "She won't wake up but her BPM is off the charts and she is sweating bullets, _as an added bonus._" Her voice dripped of sarcasm.

"Okay, I'll check on her." I think I mumbled quite sleepily actually. "What room is she in?"

Becky checked the chart before handing it over to me, "203."

I froze up for a moment, _Mr. Klyne's room…_ I looked over at Becky and nodded curtly. "Thanks."

The walk to room 203 was a long one, I could hear screams bouncing up and down the hall and they were piercing. I hesitated at the door, wanting to turn around and run back home. But I knew I couldn't, or that I _shouldn't._ The door handle was cool and creaked slightly when I turned it, the screams had quieted down and all you could hear was the slight whimper coming from the sheets. I anxiously peeked around the curtain and sighed. It was the same petite girl driving the little cherry red Mini Cooper that Edward had made some obscene gestures to. I moved so that I was standing over her and felt her forehead. Her neck strained to find solace in my cool hands. _Okay, unconscious but receptive._ I started going through my checkup checklist.

_Pulse, IV, monitors, bed position, water, clot-. _Another piercing scream filled the room and I fought the urge to cover my ears with my fingers like a child at an airplane show. She started to speak, it was faint at first. "Burning…" she muttered.

"What was that Mary Alice?" I gently tried to coax a response out of her. "What did you say?"

"Burning. Burning! It burns!" She started wailing again. I bit my lip and went to go wet a towel. After doing so, I laid it upon her forehead and sighed quietly. "Oh Mary Alice…"

_-xXx-_

_June 30, 2011_

Alice has been that way for three days, with a combination of screaming and periods of complete silence. Her choice vocabulary had been limited to, "Kill me, it burns, hell, and I want to die." I had given up days to spend with her, trying to get her to wake up or eat or do _something_ other than scream. I had declined dates with Cam, missed my lunches with Aunt Flo, and my social life was going into a black hole of oblivion. It was evening when I checked on her again. I opened the door like I had for the past three days, wincing with anticipation of another jolting scream. I stepped in and it was remarkably quiet. I shut the door, just in case and went over to her bed. Much of her profuse sweating had stopped, her pulse was slowing down, and she looked calm. _Almost dead looking. _I thought internally. Her skin had gone pale and cold. The dozens of flowers that her friends and family had brought her reflected onto her skin like a mirror, turning her shades of rosy red and purple. _Peaceful._

I closed my eyes for the slightest moment enjoying the silence when her monitor flat lined. My eyes flew open in shock as I checked her wrists for a pulse. I checked her chart as well. Someone had elegantly written "DNR" at the bottom along with a signature from her doctor. _Do not resuscitate?_ That didn't seem right at all. Her family and friends had been bringing her bouquet upon bouquet almost every visiting hour. I looked over at Alice again and gasped. She was lying on the bed completely still, her eyes wide, open, and _red!_ That was just not natural! I stepped closer to her, her monitor was still flat but she was taking huge breaths. She ran her tongue across her pearly-white teeth and she looked almost, confused for a moment.

She closed her eyes and inhaled again. One small hand reached up to my neck and pulled me down; I thought she was going to say something to me or explain what had just happened. But in an instant something hard and sharp was lodged into the base of my neck. I yelped and tried to pull away but what I assumed were her teeth stayed fast into my neck. Before I could process what on earth would be happening at this moment, my knees grew weak and Alice slowly pulled out. My body was beginning to burn like hers; I fell to the floor and stared up at her scared. Her eyes had glazed over and she was staring at the far wall. The place where I had been standing, along with the chart I held, had been soaked in blood, my blood. Suddenly her head turned towards the door and then towards me, faster than I had to realize she had grabbed me before I passed out she bit her lip and jumped out the open window. My vision started to blur and twist into odd shapes around me, and the pain inside of me intensified and I could only scream out.

Before I lost focus completely, I hung on long enough to see that we were in the middle of a dark forest. Alice slowed to a walk beside the mouth of a cave laden with moss and took me inside. She bit her lip once more and almost lowered her head back down to my neck. I didn't have the energy to refuse, but something inside of her made her stop and throw me down on the cold, hard rock. "I'm sorry." She muttered before running out into the night air.

That was the last thing I saw before my body became consumed in an eternal flame.

**A/N: **Sorry this was such a lengthy chapter! I just continued to write and write and tried to add more details for all of you! So did you adore it? Deplore it? Anything I need to change or explain?  
>Thanks in advance for all of your reviews!<p>

~Akako Akina


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